Running As A Woman - Linda Witt And Glenna Matthews

A journalist, a political scientist and a historian at UC Berkeley, respectively, here offer a broad and anecdotal account that instructively analyzes the evolving history of women as political candidates. The earliest candidates, like Jeannette Rankin who in 1916 became the first woman member of Congress, invoked altruism as their motivation; only after the birth of feminism could women admit to ambition. Despite increases in numbers over the years, the comparative paucity of women politicians means that those who run are likely to be viewed through expectations born of feminine stereotypes. They must face questions about dress, motherhood and marriage that male politicans are never asked. Although women have recently begun to succeed in political fundraising, mobilizing the "women's vote" is more difficult and the authors offer only a few tentative suggestions. More perspicacious is their criticism of media coverage of women politicians and their analysis of how individual candidates "phrase" the gender issue. Nonetheless, the authors conclude that women, collectively and individually, are gradually accruing the power necessary to reframe the issues that affect them.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

DOWNLOAD RUNNING AS A WOMAN - LINDA WITT AND GLENNA MATTHEWS